Olaf

This guide is for top lane Olaf and is by Quas, a Challenger player on League of Legends and current Top Lane for Team Liquid. Olaf is a top lane that can be used to shut down many melee champions, especially those with no ranged abilities. If they are forced to walk into your melee range for a Reckless Swings, you're pretty much assumed to win lane against it.

Item Build

Starting Items

Doran's Shield and HP Potion is the best starting items on Olaf. It gives Olaf a bit of sustain and HP let's his do well in lane against almost any match up regardless of ranged or melee.

Core Items

Ravenous Hydra (Melee Only)

Greater Totem (Trinket)

When you are doing well in lane it is a really good idea to rush a Ravenous Hydra on Olaf to give him more wave clear to combo up with his Undertow along with Attack Damage and even more sustain from lifesteal and his Vicious Strikes.

Ninja Tabi

Randuin's Omen

Sunfire Cape

Spirit Visage

Greater Totem (Trinket)

If you do get get a Hydra early on you can skip the Sunfire Cape and build a Randuin's Omen right after. You already have the wave clear from Hydra so you don't need to get a Sunfire and Randuin's is a better choice for Armor/Health/Active. Randuin's Omen makes it really hard for people to get away from you and lets Olaf stick to people much easier. In the event that you were not able to rush Hydra and need to be tanky early you should rush a Sunfire Cape then into Randuin's Omen is the best choice. Then followed by Spirit Visage as it gives HP/Magic Resist and a passive that synergies with Olaf's Vicious Strike. Picking up a Sunfire later on if you need the armor and health is not a bad choice. Ninja Tabi are normally the best choice on Olaf as he doesn't need the tenacity as much as other champions due to his Ultimate.

Endgame Items

Zephyr

Greater Stealth Totem (Trinket)

As a last item you should strongly consider picking up a Zephyr. This item gives Olaf everything he would want. CDR/Attack Damage/Attack Speed/Movement Speed all works wonders on Olaf and it even gives the Tenacity you missed on by picking up Ninja Tabi.

whats the reason not to use GA all the time, I mean twice as much fun with lowhealth olaf ??

also, are ionian boots viable on olaf? maybe ninja tabi is better for him, but again I have a hard time finding the bad stuff in an even more spamable truedammage nuke(except of course your HP dropping)